Closure device with a breakable seal for bottles or like containers

ABSTRACT

A bottle closure device is according to this invention moulded in a single piece of plastics material and has an inner tubular wall which fits into the neck of the bottle, and an intermediate wall which rests on the mouth of the bottle. An external skirt which surrounds the bottle neck is connected to the remainder of the closure device by frangible elements which break when any attempt is made to pull the closure device from the bottle, leaving a removable plastics stopper in the bottle.

United States Patent [191 Guala CLOSURE DEVICE WITH A BREAKABLE SEAL FOR BOTTLES OR LIKE CONTAINERS [75] Inventor: Piergiacomo Guala, Alessandria,

Italy [73] Assignee: Societa Angelo Guala Di Pierglacomo E. Roberto Guala & C.S.A.S., Alessandria, Italy UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/l969 Van Baarn 2l5/42 X I [111 3,815,770 June 11, 1974 3,473,685 10/l969 Karlan ..2l5/42X Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak 57 ABSTRACT A bottle closure device is according to this invention moulded in a single piece of plastics material and has an inner tubular wall which fits into the neckof the bottle, and an intermediate wall which rests on the mouth of the bottle. An external skirt which surrounds the bottle neck is connected to the remainder of the closure device by frangible elements which break when any attempt isvmade to pull the closure device from the bottle, leaving a removable plastics stopper in the bottle.

- 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures This invention relates to a closure device with a breakable seal for a bottle or similar container of plastics material, of the type made by vacuum forming or by blowing, the container having a neck which'is provided with an internal annular projection.

An object of this invention is to provide a closure device of the aforesaid type suitable for application to bottles and similar containers of plastics material which affords good security of closing andwhich prevents opening of the container without first breaking and removing the seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure device of the above mentioned type, capable of use, after its initial opening, to effect successive reclosing of the container to which it was originally sealed.

According to the invention there is provided a closure device having a breakable seal for use with a bottle or like container of plastics material having a neck formed with an internal annular projection characterised in that the closure device comprises an inner tubular wall adapted to be inserted coaxially inside the neck of the container and formed at its inner end with an external annular projection adapted to engage with elastic deformation the internal annular projection of the neck an intermediate tubular wall surrounding the inner tubular wall, and shorter than the latter, a transverse wall integral with said two tubular walls and a breakable seal formed by an external annular skirt connected to the transverse wall by means of a plurality of frangible radial connecting elements which are arranged to break when the said annular skirt is pulled axially, so as to effect separation of said skirt from the remaining-part of. the device said remaining part forming a plastics stopper capable of being extracted from and re-applied to the container.

, The invention will be further described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned diagrammatic side view of a closure device according to one embodiment of the invention for a bottle or like container of plastics material, shown removed from its container;

FIG. 2 is a side view similar to FIG. 1, showing the closure device fitted to the container and sealed;

FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the closure device after rupture of the seal, and

FIG. 4 is a side view, similar to FIGS. 1 and 3, showing the closure device in its completely open position.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates the neck of a bottle or a similar container of plastics material, having at its mouth an inwardly folded annular lip 2. The neck 1 is formed with an internal annular projection 3, which is spaced from the lip 2 and which defines an internal annular shoulder.

A safety closure device 4 according to this invention comprises a single body moulded in flexible plastics material. The closure device 4 has a transverse end wall 5 in the'form of a disc moulded integrally with an. inner tubular wall 6 adapted to fit into the neck of the bottle. The inner tubular wall 6 is formed at its inner end with an external annular projection 7 adapted to engage by elastic deformation in the internal annular shoulder formed by the projection 3 in the neck of the bottle.

The closure device 4 is also formed with an intermediate annular wall 8 disposed externally of and coaxial with the inner wall 6, and of shorter axial length than the inner wall 6. The intermediate wall 8 is adapted to abut the lip 2 of the bottle neck 1 when the closure device is fitted (FIG. 2) The closure device 4 is also formed with an outer tubular skirt 9, coaxial with the walls 6 and 8.

The outer tubular skirt 9 is dimensioned so as to fit over the neck 1 of the bottle (FIG. 2) forming a removable strip which constitutes a seal which while intact guarantees that the bottle has not been opened.

When the complete closure device4 is first fitted (FIG. 2) it is fitted on to the neck 1 of the bottle. with its inner tubular wall 6 inserted in the neck 1 and its intermediate annular wall 8 resting on the lip 2 of the neck. The outer tubular skirt 9 forms a band encircling the top of the neck, and connectedto the transverse wall by means of a plurality of radial frangible elements l0 moulded integrally with the closure device.

To unseal the bottle or other container it is necessary first to remove the skirt 9 by pulling on the latter so as to break the radial connecting elements 10 connecting the skirt 9 to the transverse wall 5, leaving the rest of the closure device in the form of a plastics stopper 4 closing the bottle, as shown in FIG. 3.

The stopper 4 may now readily be extracted from the bottle and also used to reclose the bottle subsequently, either manually or with the aid of a tool acting as a lever. To assist the extraction phase of the stopper 4 from the neck 1 one or more recesses 11 are formed in the intermediate annular wall 8.

On account of the frangibility of the radial connecting elements 10, any attempt to extract the closure device 4 from the neck 2 of the bottle without first removing the skirt seal 9 results in rupture of the elements, since the force necessary to remove the skirt 9 is much less than that required to extract the remainder of the device, that is, the stopper 4, from the bottle.

The closure device herein described can be used with advantage for the closure of bottles or like containers containing non-gasified liquids, that is, liquids which are not stored under pressure.

It will be understood that the present invention may be embodied in a variety of practical forms differing from the example described and illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. Closure device having a breakable seal, for use with a bottle or like container of plastics material having a neck formed with an internal annular projection, said closure device comprising:

an inner tubular wall adapted to be inserted coaxially inside the neck of the container and formed at its inner end with an external annular projection adapted to engage with elastic deformation the internal annular projection of the container neck; an intermediate tubular'wall surrounding the inner tubular wall, and shorter than the latter a transverse wall integral with said two tubular walls;

an external annular skirt and,

a plurality of frangible radial elements connecting said skirt to said transverse wall,

said frangible elements being arranged to break when said annular skirt is pulled axially, so as to effect separation of said skirt from the remaining part of the device, which remaining part forms a plastics wall being formed with at least one-recess for engagement by a tool to facilitate extraction of the stopper of the device from the container after removal of said skirt.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTTFICATE OF "CORRECTION Patent No. 3; 1'5'; 770' 7 Jime 11. 1974 Inventofls) Piersziacomo Guala It is certified that error appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In The Heading:

The claimed Priority Data was omitted. Should read:

--Novernber10, 1971 Italy. 70677-A. 1971-- Signed and sealed this 17th day of September 1974 (SEAL) .Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. Co MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM r-o-1050 n0-69 uscoMM-Dc 6037sn=69 U.5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 5 i969 O-366-334, 

1. Closure device having a breakable seal, for use with a bottle or like container of plastics material having a neck formed with an internal annular projection, said closure device comprising: an inner tubular wall adapted to be inserted coaxially inside the neck of the container and formed at its inner end with an external annular projection adapted to engage with elastic deformation the internal annular projection of the container neck; an intermediate tubular wall surrounding the inner tubular wall, and shorter than the latter a transverse wall integral with said two tubular walls; an external annular skirt and, a plurality of frangible radial elements connecting said skirt to said transverse wall, said frangible elements being arranged to break when said annular skirt is pulled axially, so as to effect separation of said skirt from the remaining part of the device, which remaining part forms a plastics stopper capable of being extracted from and re-applied to the container neck.
 2. The closure device defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate tubular wall is adapted to rest upon the edge of the neck of the container, said intermediate wall being formed with at least one recess for engagement by a tool to facilitate extraction of the stopper of the device from the container after removal of said skirt. 